Brighton boss Gus Poyet lamented his side’s inability to sustain a performance for 90 minutes as they were sunk by three late goals from fierce rivals Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium.

Palace substitute Darren Ambrose and ex-Seagull Glenn Murray struck in the dying minutes as the visitors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after Wilfried Zaha had equalised Craig Mackail-Smith’s early strike with just 10 minutes remaining.

Brighton missed the chance to go top and Poyet was far from impressed with his side’s lacklustre second half display.

‘At the moment we can’t play for 90 minutes and that’s a problem,’ he said.

Super Eagles: Crystal Palace's Darren Ambrose scored in the final minute to earn the win

‘I started playing football in 1992 and I think from then until now the game has been played for 90 minutes.

‘The disappointment is massive
because it’s Palace, and it hurts.’

It all started so well for the home
side as Palace were caught napping by a short corner just seven minutes
in, Gary Dicker finding room to square to Mackail-Smith who tapped home
from six yards.

Looking shell-shocked, the visitors
struggled to cope with Brighton's fluidity in midfield, with Murray -
who was roundly booed with every touch of the ball – cutting a forlorn
figure up front on his own.

But Palace finally sparked into life around the half hour mark.

They had their best chance of the
opening period when a Murray effort flew just wide of the post after he
was sent clear by impressive 17-year-old midfielder Jon Williams.

Palace piled on the pressure in the
second half and nearly found their equaliser just before the hour mark
as Brighton keeper Casper Ankergren came and missed a Sean Scannell
corner, but Paddy McCarthy’s header was cleared off the line.

Wonderful Wilfred: Zaha had set up a grandstand finish with his equaliser on 80 minutes

Palace's pressure finally told with
10 minutes to go as the lively Zaha picked up the ball on the edge
of the box, beat his man and wrong-footed Ankergren with a low shot.

Then, with just a
minute of normal time left, Parr then found Ambrose with a low
cross and the midfielder stabbed home at the second attempt.

With Brighton chasing victory Murray
found space 25 yards out in stoppage time and drove into the bottom to
put the result beyond doubt and send the travelling support into
raptures.